Rude workers lose their shot at repeat business

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Updated: March 21, 2012 8:13AM

Dear Readers: Last week, we wrote about one reader who was refused admittance to a restroom at a restaurant where she was eating and another reader who was told to “shut up” by a cranky store owner.

Since then we’ve heard from lots more readers who’ve shared stories of unwarranted rudeness.

We’ve left out the businesses’ names, as some of these insults happened a while ago. But you can be sure the consumers never returned and also told all their friends. Call it the cost of incivility.

From Vicki: I went to a bakery to buy some desserts, but when the cashier rang them up, the cost was substantially higher than I had figured. When I asked for an explanation, the cashier quoted higher prices than those listed on the little signs that were literally stuck in the treats.

She said the prices had gone up “a while ago” and that they had not “gotten around to changing the signs.” I politely complained that this did not seem right.

The manager came over. Her response was to rip the little sign out of a dessert so hard that the cake went flying across the display and landed against the glass window, all the time muttering about “cheap people.”

I should have walked out, but I was embarrassed and of course, they already had my money. The manager shoved a bag at me and I left, vowing never to return.

I complained on their corporate website and someone e-mailed me, promising to look into it and send me a gift card. They never did.

Dear Vicki: You told us this left a bad taste in your mouth for more than one reason. When you tried the treats later, they were stale. Read on for another tale of a food seller who needs anger-management classes.

From Vera: My husband and I were at the airport baggage area when I decided to buy something to drink. I went to a nearby kiosk and stood there for a minute wondering when the employee would look up from her magazine and realize she had a customer.

After a minute, she saw me and flipped the magazine closed in a way that let me know I was disturbing her. I asked to please have a bottle of water. She grabbed the water, plopped it on the counter and never said how much it cost. I handed her a five and she gave me my change like I had the plague.

I went to a woman sitting at a podium and asked her where I could complain. Her answer was, “Dunno.”

Dear Vera: Were those two sisters? From the letters we’re getting, they may be working elsewhere around town. . . .

From Marti: We went out for an early dinner and ordered our appetizer as soon as we sat down. We ordered our entrees when the appetizer arrived. We ate our meal at a reasonable pace.

It took awhile for the waiter to come by, and when he did we asked for the bill. Suddenly, a woman who I think was the owner came over and told us to finish our wine because “I need the table.”

I explained that we were waiting for our check and she again said, “Well, I need the table.” I told her she was being rude and she reiterated in a huffy manner that she needed the table.

The bill arrived and we paid and left — and I won’t go back.

Dear Marti: If she does that to everyone, she won’t be “needing that table” too much longer.

From Lisa: A few years ago, I was at a “goth” store at the mall being a cool mom and buying my kid a funny T-shirt.

I brought the item to the register and paid with a credit card.

The clerk gave me the copy to sign and I grabbed a pen from the cup of 20 or so pens. When I clicked the top, I received a SHOCK!! Literally! It was a gag pen that shocks the user.

I was not amused — and actually the clerk was mortified, which made me feel a little better, though my thumb was numb until I got home.

Do you have a story of appallingly bad manners toward a consumer? If so, please e-mail it to szimmermann@suntimes.com with “BAD MANNERS” in the subject line. Thanks!

Getting the runaround over a consumer problem? Tell it to The Fixer at suntimes.com/fixer .